Public Holidays in South Korea 2021 🇰🇷

South Korea has 19 public holidays in 2021. The next public holiday is Liberation Day on 15. Aug. The table below lists every national public holiday with its date and weekday, so you can plan travel, business days and time off in South Korea.

Date	Day	Holiday Name	Category
1. Jan	Friday Long weekend	New Year's Day	Public holiday
11. Feb	Thursday Bridge day	The day preceding Korean New Year	Public holiday
12. Feb	Friday Long weekend	Korean New Year	Public holiday
13. Feb	Saturday	The second day of Korean New Year	Public holiday
1. Mar	Monday Long weekend	Independence Movement Day	Public holiday
1. May	Saturday	Workers' Day	Bank holiday
5. May	Wednesday	Children's Day	Public holiday
19. May	Wednesday	Buddha's Birthday	Public holiday
6. Jun	Sunday	Memorial Day	Public holiday
15. Aug	Sunday	Liberation Day	Public holiday
16. Aug	Monday Long weekend	Alternative holiday for Liberation Day	Public holiday
20. Sep	Monday Long weekend	The day preceding Chuseok	Public holiday
21. Sep	Tuesday Bridge day	Chuseok	Public holiday
22. Sep	Wednesday	The second day of Chuseok	Public holiday
3. Oct	Sunday	National Foundation Day	Public holiday
4. Oct	Monday Long weekend	Alternative holiday for National Foundation Day	Public holiday
9. Oct	Saturday	Hangul Day	Public holiday
11. Oct	Monday Long weekend	Alternative holiday for Hangul Day	Public holiday
25. Dec	Saturday	Christmas Day	Public holiday

Long weekends in South Korea 2021

These public holidays fall next to the weekend or just one bridge day away, making it easy to plan an extended break.

New Year's Day — 1. Jan (Friday) — long weekend
The day preceding Korean New Year — 11. Feb (Thursday) — take Friday off to bridge into the weekend
Korean New Year — 12. Feb (Friday) — long weekend
Independence Movement Day — 1. Mar (Monday) — long weekend
Alternative holiday for Liberation Day — 16. Aug (Monday) — long weekend
The day preceding Chuseok — 20. Sep (Monday) — long weekend
Chuseok — 21. Sep (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Alternative holiday for National Foundation Day — 4. Oct (Monday) — long weekend
Alternative holiday for Hangul Day — 11. Oct (Monday) — long weekend

Holidays that change date in South Korea

Some holidays are movable and land on a different date each year. Here is how these dates shift from 2021 to 2022.

The day preceding Korean New Year: 11. Feb 2021 → 31. Jan 2022
Korean New Year: 12. Feb 2021 → 1. Feb 2022
The second day of Korean New Year: 13. Feb 2021 → 2. Feb 2022
Buddha's Birthday: 19. May 2021 → 8. May 2022
The day preceding Chuseok: 20. Sep 2021 → 9. Sep 2022
Chuseok: 21. Sep 2021 → 10. Sep 2022
The second day of Chuseok: 22. Sep 2021 → 11. Sep 2022
Alternative holiday for Hangul Day: 11. Oct 2021 → 10. Oct 2022

Browse Holidays for Other Years in South Korea:

2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holidays does South Korea have in 2021?

South Korea observes 19 public holidays in 2021. Each is listed above with its date and weekday.

What is the next public holiday in South Korea?

The next public holiday in South Korea is Liberation Day on 15. Aug.

Are public holidays in South Korea the same every year?

Most national holidays recur on the same date each year, while some (such as religious or lunar-calendar holidays) move. This page is updated for 2021.